Second Solar Storm Expected to Hit the Earth This Weekend

Earlier this week the Earth was treated to a spectacular show by the northern lights after a severe solar storm struck and an encore performance is expected this weekend.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center reports that a coronal mass ejection, or CME, erupted from the sun on Thursday and will send billions of tons of solar atmospheric material hurtling toward Earth.

Billions of tons of solar material may sound dangerous, but by the time that reaches Earth it results in what's known as a solar storm.

These storms cause conditions that cause the aurora borealis, northern lights, to become visible further south than they normally would.

Sightings of the majestic lights were reported as far south as Virginia earlier this week, so Florida isn't likely to see the light show.

The storm is expected to reach the planet Saturday afternoon.

Audi plans to launch its four-wheel-drive 'Lunar Quattro Rover' for the Google Lunar XPrize

Audi is planning to launch its four-wheel-drive 'Lunar Quattro Rover' in 2017 to the landing site of Apollo 17, the last manned mission to make it to the moon. The rover is being build alongside a German group of engineers, known as the Part-Time Scientists, as part of the Google Lunar XPrize contest. It will travel more than 236,100 miles (380,000 km) to the moon in a trip that will take around five days.

Google is funding a $30 million new-age space race, a competition to see who can be the first to put a rover on the moon and cover 500 meters across the lunar surface, all while beaming back high-definition footage to Earth. A series of independent teams around the world are competing, and Audi just got in the game in a big way.

The rover is powered by an adjustable solar panel captures sunlight and directs it to a lithium-ion battery. It feeds four electric wheel hub motors. A head at the front of the vehicle carries two stereoscopic cameras as well as a scientific camera that examines materials. The theoretical maximum speed is 2.2mph (3.6 km/h) – but more important on the rugged surface of the moon are the vehicle's off-road capabilities and ability for safe orientation. 'Double wishbone suspensions are used at all four of the wheels that can each be rotated over 360 degrees,' Audi says.

"With Audi we have acquired a strong partner that will bring us a big step forward with its technological and mobility capabilities," added Robert Bohme, founder and head of the Part-Time Scientists. "We look forward to future interaction and a fruitful partnership."

The German team's rover is set to be unveiled in 2017.

Via: [dailymail.co.uk]

Facebook Celebrates Marriage Equality with New Feature

Facebook has shown its support for marriage equality with a new tool that allows users to superimpose a rainbow over their profile pictures, showing their support for gay marriage.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally announced the Celebrate Pride tool on his personal page following the US Supreme Court's ruling that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry.

In another post Zuckerberg said, "Our country was founded on the promise that all people are created equal, and today we took another step towards achieving that promise. I'm so happy for all of my friends and everyone in our community who can finally celebrate their love and be recognised as equal couples under the law. We still have much more to do to achieve full equality for everyone in our community, but we are moving in the right direction."

To add the rainbow filter to your profile visit www.facebook.com/celebratepride

Amazon's Echo, a Voice Controlled Speaker is now Available to Everyone

Amazon announced its artificially intelligent bluetooth speaker—the Amazon Echo—is being made publicly available for purchase. The Echo was first unveiled in November 2014, but it was sold on an invitation-only basis until this week. The device is one of the first always-on, voice controlled intelligent home appliances that connects to the Internet and controls third-party services. It can answer trivia questions, tell you the weather, add items to a shopping list, and much more.

Echo is a connected device that combines the abilities of Siri and a bluetooth speaker in a 9.25-inch tall cylinder and it's price is $179.99.

The Amazon Echo is essentially a voice-activated personal assistant for your home. People in the house can ask it questions, ask it to read books from Audible, ask for sports scores, set timers and even get it to tell terrible jokes.

It also is linked to Amazon Prime Music, which means it acts as a credible speaker that will play any music that’s available in your personal Amazon music library or the free music available for Prime members.

The Echo is based on Amazon’s cloud-based voice service, Alexa, which can hear, comprehend, and resolve any question or command. The speaker is always listening, and it’s activated when the a user says the name Alexa.

With the Alexa Skills Kit, Amazon stands to make a serious push for the job, as Echo can use its built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios to communicate directly with devices ranging from smart deadbolts and connected lighting kits to app-enabled kitchen gadgets and wireless security systems. It's an attractive arrangement for the device-makers, many of whom stand to benefit from hitching their wagon to a high-profile name like Amazon.

Begun as a bookseller, Amazon has been selling many of its own products, including a video streaming device, e-book readers and tablets. It also has a streaming video service, grocery delivery and music streaming and has created original TV shows such as the critically acclaimed "Transparent" starring Jeffrey Tambor.

Aston Martin DB9 GT Unveils at Goodwood Festival of Speed

ASTON MARTIN has unveiled its DB9 GT, an upgraded DB9 that is the most powerful ever built, but which also includes a host of new equipment.

The DB9 GT has 540bhp from its 5.9-litre normally aspirated V12 engine. That’s  a significant hike from the 510bhp of the standard car. Peak power from the upgraded engine arrives at 6750rpm, with 457lb ft of torque available at 5500rpm. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Aston Martin claims the DB9 GT can reach 62mph from rest in 4.5sec and has a top speed of 183mph. Despite the hike in power, only the acceleration figure is an improvement over the standard DB9’s - and even then by only 0.1sec.

Inside, the DB9 GT gets a new generation of Aston Martin’s infotainment system. The touch-sensitive Ami II set-up features redesigned menus and more personalisation options. The car’s leather seats now include the GT badge, and the steering wheel is clad in Alcantara. Interior options include a range of trims and finishes for the centre console, as well as a steering wheel inspired by the One-77.

The DB9 GT weighs no more than the standard DB9 coupé, at 1785kg. In open-top Volante form, the DB9 GT is 1890kg.

Pricing has yet to be revealed, but it’s likely that the DB9 GT will cost significantly more than the £131,995 DB9.

The DB9 GT revisits a path that Aston Martin trod with the Virage. Launched in 2011, the 489bhp Virage was never a sales success but was intended to bridge the gap between the regular DB9 and hotter DBS.

Meanwhile, the DB9’s replacement has already been spotted performance testing at the Nürburgring, two years before its market launch.

As well as introducing the DB9 GT, Aston Martin has made changes to the Vantage and Rapide. Vantage models get a new touch-sensitive centre console and the Vantage S and Rapide S get the firm’s Ami II infotainment system. New interior and exterior colour and trim options also feature across the range.

Via: [autocar.co.uk]

General Motors's Chevrolet Cruze 2016 Unveiled at the Fillimore Theatre in Detroit

GM's Chevy Cruze 2016 was uncovered at the Fillimore Theatre in Detroit. The new car is 3 inches longer than before, yet weighs a whopping 250 pounds less. This lightness helps with efficiency, but also should deliver handling that's more crisp. Legroom, we're told, is significantly improved.

The styling is completely new, sharing Chevy's latest corporate visage and looking an awful lot like the recently revealed Malibu . That's a good thing in our eyes.

Powering the new Cruze is a trio of options, starting with a 1.5-liter non-turbocharged engine, that will make a mere 113 horsepower. The next step up will actually be a smaller motor, a 1.4-liter turbocharged choice that will put out a rather more respectable 153 horsepower, while still delivering an estimated 40mpg when paired with an automatic transmission.

Finally there will be a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel, an engine Chevrolet has deployed in Europe, but never before in the Cruze, and never before on American shores. Chevy reps wouldn't confirm power or mileage estimates, other than their expectation that it will be the highest-MPG non-hybrid car on the market in the US.

Inside, the Cruze will support both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto through the company's MyLink system, and of course connectivity with GM's OnStar will be on tap.

Chevrolet hasn't announced any pricing for the car just yet, but it is expected to go on sale in the US at least in early 2016. Those hoping for a diesel, however, will have to wait a little longer, until 2017.

Via: [cnet.com]

Google's Sidewalk Labs bringing Free, Fast Wi-Fi to Cities around the World

Google’s Sidewalk Labs – a new startup that launched earlier in June – announced its first project called Intersection, which will install several free Wi-Fi hubs around the Big Apple.

It will start with New York City, where it plans to bring free Wi-Fi.

It is reported that It would be an independent Google-owned company that would emphasis on refining city living through technology innovations. Either way, the goal is to help shore up broadband coverage and bring connectivity to some of the 55 million Americans that don’t have access to high speed Internet. For Google, one of the reasons to launch Sidewalk Labs was the need for tech solutions that work at an intersection like this.

There are other less direct advantages to having Google on board, though, says Colin O’Donnell, founding partner of Control Group.

LinkNYC connection points will replace the network of public pay phones in New York, which will begin in September. Free high speed Internet in cities is said to be a moonshot project which may not appear to be as unbelievable as projects such as developing the self-driving vehicle or taking a shot at curing death. We’re already seeing cellular devices that work exclusively from Wi-Fi, calling services that function on it, so now, the logical step will be to add components that can improve this networking capability. “One of the great things about New York is that when people see things happening in New York, they tend to focus on it and often emulate it”, he says.

Via: [ifreepress.com]

Pyramid-like Object Found on Mars by Nasa's Curiosity Rover

NASA's latest photograph from Mars has generated a lot of buzz, particularly on the internet. A YouTube channel is claiming that the picture is proof of alien life. Paranormal Crucible argued this week that the Mars Curiosity Rover snapped photos of a perfect pyramid found on the red planet. 

The pyramid is around the size of a car, and the sensible explanation is that it is a rock formation that has formed a pyramidal shape by chance. But others have come to a different conclusion. Citing the ‘near-perfect design and shape’, conspiracy theorists are saying the pyramid is the creation of an intelligent being and therefore it’s possible it was built by an ancient Martian civilisation.

Some go further, suggesting that we on Earth are descended from this Martian civilisation.

Which seems unlikely.

But it isn’t the worst idea. Even astrophysicist, scientific commentator and all-round good bloke Neil deGrasse Tyson has suggested in the past that if there were life on Mars – and yes, it’s a big ‘if’ – then it is not impossible that human life originated there.

Watch video here

Scientist Made Beer with 3D Printing Rhino Horns to Stop Rhino Poaching

Rhinos have been killed every year for their valuable horns which are used in traditional medicine, in art pieces, for making handles for weapons and many more.

Poaching has decimated the rhino population, especially in recent years. The western black rhino, a subspecies of the black rhino, was declared extinct in 2011, and only five northern white rhinos remain, all in captivity. Though conservation efforts have helped increase the number of rhinos left in the wild to almost 30,000, poaching numbers have skyrocketed since 2008. According to a report from The Guardian, 1,200 were killed in 2014, up from 1,004 in 2013, and 448 in 2011—compared to 83 in 2008.

San Francisco-based Pembient says it can now engineer a synthetic rhino horn that is genetically and spectrographically identical to the real thing. Using keratin, a type of fibrous protein, and a small amount of rhino DNA, the company can produce a dried powder that is 3D-printed into a solid material. Currently, the going rate for rhino horns is about $60,000 a kilogram. As technology like DNA sequencing and synthetic biology continue to advance and become more accessible and affordable to startups, manufacturing biologically equivalent rhinoceros horns could be a potential solution to the poaching problem that’s on track to leave thousands of rhinos dead this year.

Pembient is moving quickly to bring its fake horns to market, beginning with a partnership with one of Beijing's largest breweries to make a rhino horn beer that will launch later this year.

The product will be sold as a powder and in horn form. In the last couple of months, while in residence at the San Francisco-based biotech accelerator IndieBio, the company figured out how to 3-D print powder into the shape of horns.

Some government agencies and environmental groups advocate for the farming of rhinos to legalize the production and distribution of rhino horn, much like the farming of crocodile skins and other animal products that come from endangered species. Scaling the farming of one of the world’s oldest creatures is one of the difficulties advocates of this solution run into.

Pembient isn’t stopping at rhino horns. Markus also has plans to recreate hard materials like ivory or tiger bone. And even potentially manufacture synthetic biological artifacts from species that are already extinct, like a saber tooth tiger or a mammoth.

Via: [The Daily Dot]

Sony Announced to Use Classic Gamepads for Its New Game Console

Many of us grew up playing "Super Mario", "Contra" using classic gamepads but as the technology advanced they fell apart and we have started using new gamepads. But recently Sony has announced to use those classic gamepads for its upcoming game console.

Though years of play wore down the originals, Sony's issuing original PlayStation-themed gamepads and headphones in honor of the orig nal console's 20th anniversary. They look like this:

The brand's seen a variety of applications in the past 20 years: four home game consoles, two handheld game consoles, countless services, peripherals and, now, a virtual reality headset, all branded "PlayStation."

The gamepad, however, is especially iconic.

Sony's "DualShock" line of gamepads has become a modern symbol for gaming, both literally and figuratively. When you're clicking through a menu of media types on a modern phone, a regular stand-in for the word "games" is a gamepad that looks distinctly similar to the classic DualShock design. The design set a standard for modern gamepad design. Both Nintendo and Microsoft took cues from Sony's original DualShock controller design when looking to their own gamepads.

Ironically, the first DualShock controllers were introduced two years after the original PlayStation launched; the gamepad seen above is intended to celebrate the original console's anniversary, not the gamepad itself.

The 20th anniversary edition DualShock 4 gamepad for the PlayStation 4 and Wireless Headset arrive this September, for $64.99 and $99.99 (respectively). The nostalgia is free.

Via: [Business Insider]